Beginner questions and an introduction

Beginner questions and an introduction

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YoungWorker Ant

Posts: 36

04/22/2013 6:09 AM

Here in Southern Maine ethanol seems to be non existent. And I have been retired long enough to apparently lose my lab contacts from work. So, Everclear was next, but not sold in Maine or NH anymore. I went to Barcardi151 until something else comes along.

First question: Would someone supply a bioquip, or similar, order number for suitable vials, please. I have been using some from long ago that were used in a centrifuge, and too often they leak. I now give off smell like rum, which I don't mind, but it seems to produce strange looks when I go down for coffee in the morning.

I found my renewed interest after getting A Field Guide to the Ants of New England. This, for me, was an easy read, informative, and centered around my area, Southern Maine,

I don't think I have any interest in ant farms. And I suspect actually pinning ants will not hold my interest. But, after a couple of enjoyable evenings working with an inspection microscope and the camera, I think being able to ID the ants in my area will keep me going for a long while.

Being an old fart and a geek, the neighbors are long used to me doing something strange. The last few years working on Bryophytes and crawling around the woods cemented any strange thoughts!

So, second question: will I be able to get confirmation of my IDs from photography? More clearly, will others be able to confirm what I think from photographs alone?

Useful comments are welcome. If this is not the right section of the forum, please let me know.

So what you want to do is just take pictures of ants around your area and have people here identify them for you and have small discussions? If that's pretty much the case, then that's fine. I'm sure people would love to do that for you.

Nope, what I would like to understand is if I can get intelligent confirmation of myIDs using photographs. I'll gladly stick my neck out and say what I think I have for an ID ! I am new enough that I do not know if photographs are acceptable for ID.

For instance, as I start 'learning' how to use the keys, and work my way down the ID, would folks mind confirming what I think, and helping me? Hey, ants was a four letter word for me until recently !

'Normal' photographs, especially good macros with full backup data, can give good hints of a determination - to genus or even species - moreso when the choices are very limited. But with modern ant taxonomy relying increasingly on subtle microscopic characters and indices, there is often no option but to examine specimens at the very least with a hand lens, and preferably, properly mounted dry specimens under a stereomicroscope. It is possible also sometimes with good, image-stacked photographs taken through a microscope, to reach a fairly certain ID without seeing the actual specimen, but again it depends on how many ID choices there may be in the particular genus or species group, and how subtle the differences. So whether anyone can confirm your IDs from photos depends entirely on how precise you want the ID, and how good the pics are! Having said that, on here are many who can give a really good shot at an ID from even average images. Once you yourself become more familiar with species and their habitats, you will need confirmation much less of course.

As you read through the various keys, all this should become obvious to you!

allenfr wrote:Here in Southern Maine ethanol seems to be non existent. And I have been retired long enough to apparently lose my lab contacts from work. So, Everclear was next, but not sold in Maine or NH anymore. I went to Barcardi151 until something else comes along.

First question: Would someone supply a bioquip, or similar, order number for suitable vials, please. I have been using some from long ago that were used in a centrifuge, and too often they leak. I now give off smell like rum, which I don't mind, but it seems to produce strange looks when I go down for coffee in the morning.

I found my renewed interest after getting A Field Guide to the Ants of New England. This, for me, was an easy read, informative, and centered around my area, Southern Maine,

I don't think I have any interest in ant farms. And I suspect actually pinning ants will not hold my interest. But, after a couple of enjoyable evenings working with an inspection microscope and the camera, I think being able to ID the ants in my area will keep me going for a long while.

Being an old fart and a geek, the neighbors are long used to me doing something strange. The last few years working on Bryophytes and crawling around the woods cemented any strange thoughts!

So, second question: will I be able to get confirmation of my IDs from photography? More clearly, will others be able to confirm what I think from photographs alone?

Useful comments are welcome. If this is not the right section of the forum, please let me know.

Frank Allen North Waterborto Maine

Hello Frank, and welcome to the forum. The vials we use at the lab I work in are similar to these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061OWD7M/ref=asc_df_B0061OWD7M2485507?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=dealt6366-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B0061OWD7M. I cannot find the exact type and am on a break from working their for the year but if these do not suit I can find out more soon. I think what you are planning is something you will find very enjoyable. I would recommend pinning specimens. It is actually fun, and makes you learn more about the ants you collect by interacting with them in this manner. Taking photos of them in a pinned pose is going to really help you get the assistance you may need on this forum for identification. There are some professional myrmecologists who drop by here from time to time, Doctorant being the one who frequents and participates the most. You probably have already seen his pinned thread on the best methods to post requests for identifications in the field sightings area of this forum. There are other hobbyists who will be able to help, especially if you have good photos. I think the ensuing discussions would help us all, myself included, in learning how to properly identify ants. Pinning them will also allow you to take more photos quickly if a certain angle is needed for a specific specimen. This is often the case with the more difficult to identify ants down to the species level. I hope to see you posting some great photos in the near future!

"From colony founding chambers to proprietary ant food formulas to Customized Habitats the way you want them, Tar Heel Ants has everything you need to care for your colonies and reach all of your goals as an ant keeper."

You can purify your Bacardi 151, if you like. I did this with cheap vodka a few years ago. I took a five gallon bucket, put a stretched out package of copper tubing in it, drilled a hole in the bottom, stuck the copper tubing through it, sealed it with a silicone ear plug, drilled a ring of holes around the top of the bucket, put wire in each of the holes, affixed the wire to hold up the copper tubing, filled the bucket up with cold water, ran the top part of the tubing over to a tea kettle filled with vodka, scrunched some aluminum foil over the opening in an effort to seal the joint, gently heated the tea kettle on a camp stove and waited for the pure alcohol to drip out of the bottom end of the tube. I did this in an effort to lighten my load when backpacking. It tasted horrible, but I did get a concentrated dose of alcohol. I'm sure you could do the same thing if you wanted purer alcohol. I wouldn't spend the money on Bacardi. I would just use cheap vodka. By the way, I don't drink alcohol anymore. Everyone is happy about that.

Nice replies, and good information. And as much as I live on the Net I never thought about using Amazon for the vials!

The snow is disappearing enough up here that I am starting to see some little ant hills alongside the dirt roads, and my wife has one flower garden that suddenly has ants among the rising plants.

The hardest part for me is getting the mechanics down and pat. Working with moss and lichen was a learning experience, but they don't move much. I spent a few hours last night with one of the roadside ants, less than 3mm, and have yet to get what I consider a decent profile and head on. Until I got the Barcardi151 I had tried freezing them, denatured, and just plain trying to hold them still under the scope. The Barcardi leaves them a lot more flexible.

I will post in the other section shortly when I get a decent enough shot. I do appreciate the comments I have received!